| all events | Agenda 2003 | sponsor /exhibit |
BI / ERP Software Solutions 15th October, 2003 conference:    Our thanks to all who attended and to those who sent in these comments: "Thanks for hosting such a great event. The presentations from the users perspectives were very refreshing and informative. Even the vendor presentations seemed very objective and not at all like a sales pitch. It was a very professional and well run event". T. McLaren. "I would most definitely consider sponsoring and participating in the next event. The agenda was pertinent to today's business climate and IT needs/pains.....Personally, I believe that anyone who had pain issues or interest in BI/ERP certainly missed a very valuable event. Thank you again for the invitation and look forward to your next session". J. Stamers. "It was particularly interesting to hear a client's point of view instead of a marketing pitch. The event was well worth the time". J. Hyslop. "I found all of the case studies interesting and Michael's overviews of the market/industry". K. Walker. "Excellent seminar. Please have Mr. Burns forward all slide presentations which were used, and any links to related research on the current BI landscape". T. O' Rourke. "It was very good and informative. Presenter's real stories are more convincing". K. Kumabe. "I appreciated your effort to host this event. Since BI is on the roadmap of the enterprise of the future it is important for the IT world to keep apprised of what is happening. So kudos' for your work". K. Kopke. "The day was extremely beneficial for anyone seeking BI/ERP Solutions from a standpoint of case studies presented and the presentations by Michael Burns". J. Purvis. "The seminar was well done and very informative I believe for both end users looking at making what amounts to a major move and for firms such as mine that provides these services and products to better understanding their approach and criteria setting methods. Thanks again it was very good". R. L'Espérance. "Thank you for hosting this event. I was interested in the ERP case studies and found that the Laurel Steel presentation really gave me some good ideas for our own ERP implementation project....Unfortunately for us, we might have benefited from your presentation a year ago when looking for possible vendors". C. Burton. "I thought overall it was a good day. Focusing on case studies is a great learning experience for both customers, prospects, vendors, resellers and consultants". B. White. "I enjoyed the BI/ ERP information sessions last week at the Marriott. I particularly liked your summary description of the two main subject areas as well as the overview of the market players". F. Watkin. "I thought the event was really well put together -- focusing on end-user stories is something more of these kind of conferences should do. I only wish I could have stayed a little longer". S. Schick. "We are currently working on a project to select and implement both an ERP and a BI solution, so the timing for your seminar could not have been any better. It was nice to hear from people who have been through the implementation of ERP and BI and not from sales people". G. Rogers. "I thought it to be a most professional presentation". K. Beard. "I learned a great deal and found the day to be quite informative. The research presented was very interesting and gave me a real sense of what kind of work is being done in this area -- practical work. Please let me know if you will be sponsoring events in the future, I'd like an opportunity to attend". M. Lipton. "My overall comments are very positive. I found the sessions both informative as well as interesting". D. Tsakalaki. "I was very impressed with the calibre of the client presenters! I particularly liked the panel discussion format". A. Marshall. "Good session. Well done and informative, found case studies interesting and impressive with results". S. Groombridge. "I found it to be most interesting, both in the quality of the speakers and the enthusiasm of the audience". B. Angel. "I Enjoyed the conference - very informative, and the variety of case studies and perspectives was an excellent format". D. MacDonald.   BI / ERP Software Solutions Conference •  User-delivered Case Studies for Business Intelligence & ERP Systems • Wednesday, October 15, 2003, Toronto Marriott (Eaton Centre) Hotel, 525 Bay St Schedule and speakers subject to change without notice. Download .pdf of Conference On October 15th, key executives from Black Photo Corporation, Cara Operations, Hubbell Canada, Dare Foods, RBC Financial, Laurel Steel and ACI Accessory Concepts Inc. present candid Case Studies of their experiences with Business Intelligence and ERP systems including: Situation leading to selection of system; Objectives for the system; Which software was implemented; Key dimensions and measurements; Challenges and resolutions; Costs and benefits; and, Recommendations to those considering selecting or implementing a system. Who Should attend? All Information Technology (IT) and non-IT business management executives, and their advisors, who are responsible for making business decisions and improving business performance. Register to attend sponsors displays FREE and save on Conference fees until October 10th.   Conference Agenda
8:15	Registration and Badge Pick-up
9:00	Chairman’s Welcome
9:05	Business Intelligence Product Differentiation: Michael Burns, MBA, CA, Independent analysis of the BI marketplace and the important differences between BI systems.
10:00	Black Photo Corporation User-Delivered Case Study: Save More Money Than You Spend, Learn How Black Photo Clicks with Business Intelligence: Tim Hammond, Sr. Vice President, Merchandising and Marketing and Roy Short, Director of Information Systems & Technology, Black Photo Corporation.
10:30	Mid Morning Break
10:45	Cara Operations User-Delivered Case Study: Cooking up Success with Business Intelligence at Harvey’s: John Thompson, IT Manager, Cara Operations Ltd.
11:20	Hubbell Canada User-Delivered Case Study: Using Enterprise Performance Management Tools Beyond The Your Corporate Walls. Speaker: Calvin West, Distribution Manager, Hubbell Canada, Inc.
11:55	Dare Foods Client User Case Study: Leveraging BI to Optimize Corporate Performance Management: Andy Potter, Deloitte Consulting. Sector: Consumer Products Manufacturing
12:30	Complimentary Buffet Lunch and ~ Visit the Sponsors Displays ~
1:15	RBC Financial Group User-Delivered Case Study: Making good decisions based on reliable business information: Carolyn Crowe -Project Manager, Product & Marketing, RBC Financial Group and Wilf Tonsmann, Project Manager, Security Systems, RBC Financial Group.
1:50	ERP Product Differentiation: Michael Burns, MBA, CA. Gain an understanding of today's ERP marketplace and the important differences between the systems.
2:30	Laurel Steel User-Delivered Case Study: How a Steel company earned its Laurels with ERP implementation. Mike Kavander, Manager, Information Technology, Laurel Steel, a division of Harris Steel Limited
3:05	ACI - Accessory Concepts Inc. User-Delivered Case Study: Speaker Helder Valentim, Distribution Manager, ACI .
3:45	Sponsors Panel: Attendees will have the opportunity to put questions to the panel of BI / ERP solutions experts. Followed by Chairman's Closing remarks; and Networking Reception in the Sponsor exhibit area until 5:00
5:00	Conference & Sponsor Displays close - until 2nd April 2004
Detailed Agenda for BI / ERP Software Solutions 9am-5pm, October 15th, 2003: Toronto Marriott Hotel ( on Bay St. beside downtown Eaton Centre) Schedule and speakers subject to change without notice. Register to attend and save until October 10th. 9:00 am Chairman’s Welcome   9:05 BI - Business Intelligence Product Differentiation Analysis: Michael Burns, MBA, CA, of 180 Systems, formerly with PriceWaterhouseCoopers, and now a highly regarded independent analyst, columnist and IT communicator, will give an overview the BI marketplace with key differentiators identified by product. His independent analysis of BI systems includes "What’s the business case for BI?" TopOfPage 10:00 - 10:30 BLACK PHOTO CORPORATION User-Delivered Case Study: Save More Money Than You Spend: Learn How Black Photo Clicks with Business Intelligence: Roy Short, Director of Information Systems & Technology, and Tim Hammond, Sr. V.P., Merchandising and Marketing, Black Photo Corporation. Sector: Retail. Case Study Outline: Black Photo Corporation is now able to see their data in ways that their internal systems would not allow. Through a quick and methodical implementation, Intellera provided Blacks with a Cognos-based solution to service the internal Merchandising Department, as well as collaborate with their external Vendor community. The results have been astounding and have afforded an increase in the company’s bottom line that lies well beyond the total cost of the solution. Come hear how communication, clear objectives and creative thinking, combined with a solid BI infrastructure has changed the way Blacks does business. Blacks Canada has over 160 stores in Canada. Tim Hammond, Sr. Vice President, Merchandising and Marketing, oversees all Marketing activates including strategies and promotions, all Merchandise activities including strategies for private brand, national promotions, all inventory movement of sale and non-sale items. This includes procurement overseas and locally and all logistics from supplier to store locations through a centralized Distribution Center. Roy Short, Director of Information Systems & Technology, has overall responsibilities for all Information System & Technology, including Store Systems, Store Support Center, LAN & WAN, Voice & Data Communications & Application Development. He is a key decision maker for all technology related projects with 8 years in manufacturing & distribution, 13 in retail environment and 8 years working with BI & Data Mining technology in the retail industry. TopOfPage 10:30 - 10:45 Break   10:45 - 11:15 CARA OPERATIONS User-Delivered Case Study: Cooking up Success with Business Intelligence at Harvey’s: John Thompson, IT Manager, Cara Operations Ltd. Sector: Food Services Case Study Outline: Cara, one of Canada's largest integrated foodservices companies, was interested in gaining valuable decision making insight for several of their key departments. The system chosen had to be easy to use, quick to use and available from anywhere. The ThinkNet BI dashboards, based on the Microsoft Analysis platform, accomplished this easily. The solution developed included some key views for Sales, Marketing, Audit, Finance, and Operations. With an effort to deploy the solution in stages, risks were reduced, and each phase was delivered within a month. The project was a huge success and generated some surprising results. John Thompson IT Manager, Cara Operations Ltd., has worked in the Food Services industry for his entire career with his focus on the end customer. John has worked in all aspects of the industry and as such is keenly aware of the need for accurate information. In his recent position at Cara, John has implemented several Business Intelligence solutions allowing Marketing, Sales, Audit, Finance and Operation timely access to key decision making information. TopOfPage 11:20 - 11:50 HUBBELL CANADA User-Delivered Case Study: Using Enterprise Performance Management Tools Beyond The Your Corporate Walls. Speaker: Calvin West, Distribution Manager, Hubbell Canada, Inc. Sector: Distribution/Logistics Case Study Outline: Hubbell Canada is a leading Canadian electrical distribution company which supplies its customers from 13 different manufacturing sites in North America. Hubbell's former computer systems were severely challenged while their business was rapidly growing. Working from 'islands of information', using terminals running limited applications, made it extremely challenging for Hubbell employees to receive reliable information or reports. Since Hubbell Canada reviewed its business processes and implemented TECSYS' Enterprise EliteSeries Management solution, their ability to use Enterprise Performance Management (EPM) tools has allowed them to increase market share at an outstanding rate. This presentation will explain how these executive decision tools have allowed Hubbell to empower their people and how the EPM tools have been expanded and extended beyond the walls of the corporation. Calvin West is the Director of Operations for Hubbell Canada in it's Pickering office. TopOfPage   11:55 - 12:25 DARE FOODS Client User Case Study : Leveraging BI to Optimize Corporate Performance Management: Client End-User Case Study Andy Potter, Deloitte Consulting. Sector: Consumer Products Manufacturing Case Study Outline: Background: Dare Foods had recently gone through a comprehensive SAP implementation. While transaction processing efficiencies and standardization were achieved, the organization had not addressed management reporting needs or the budgeting and forecasting process. Solution: The company purchased a Corporate Performance Management suite of products. A staged implementation was undertaken that saw parallel implementations for CPM Finance module and BI with the resulting actual and target KPIs fed into the scorecarding tool. This presentation will explain the integration of the various components and the key lessons learned for companies pursuing Corporate Performance Management. Andy Potter is a Senior Manager in Deloitte Consulting who has developed specific expertise in all areas of the Corporate Performance Management cycle. TopOfPage   12:30 - 1:15 Lunch   1:15 - 1:45 RBC FINANCIAL GROUP User-Delivered Case Study: Making good decisions based on reliable business information: Carolyn Crowe -Project Manager, Product & Marketing, RBC Financial Group and Wilf Tonsmann - Project Manager, Security Systems, RBC Financial Group. Sector: Financial Case Study Outline: Having secure and reliable information on which to make decisions has never been more important to financial institutions. Carolyn Crowe will discuss the nature and importance of RBC's Web-Based Cash Management system and how they have ensured its integrity. Wilf will discuss some more technical aspect of using PKI and SecurID to ensure the security and reliability of their data. Carolyn Crowe is responsible for Product and Marketing program management of our strategic web-based Cash Management delivery platform in support of the Bank's business clients. She has 26 years' experience with RBC Financial Group including 14 years in a variety of Cash Management related roles. Wilf Tonsmann is responsible for the implementation of security infrastructure, including PKI and ACE, at RBC Financial Group. Application consulting on the use of these technologies has become a focus in the last two years. He has 17 years experience in Systems and Technology at RBC. TopOfPage   1:50 - 2:25 ERP - Enterprise Resource Planning - Product Differentiation Analysis: Michael Burns, MBA, CA. - author of CAmagazine's popular annual ERP survey and monthly column Test Drive; professor at Ryerson University teaching ERP and eBusiness; independent consultant in the selection and implementation of BI and ERP systems - will give an overview of the ERP marketplace with key differentiators identified by product, including · What’s the business case for ERP · Trends · High level analysis of vendors · Major differences of sponsored systems in terms of cost, target market, underlying technology and functionality.   2:30 - 3:00 LAUREL STEEL User-Delivered Case Study: How a Steel company earned its Laurels with ERP implementation. Mike Kavander, Manager, Information Technology, Laurel Steel. Sector: Manufacturing. Case Study Outline: As North America's premier supplier of cold-drawn steel, Laurel Steel has experienced constant growth, including launching its branded products which are precisely designed to meet the needs of specific industries. Because of this Laurel had great difficulty in finding a solution to meet their specific needs. They looked at a vertical and tier 1 solution, but could only get a 75% fit. They needed to find a system which was a 100% fit that would also add value in the short and long term; and, the implementation could not be a phased approach. Once they went live they had to make sure that everyone was familiar with the system leaving no room for failure - a shotgun approach. The approach is not typical; especially to be on time, on budget without sacrificing efficiencies or productivity. This Case Study reveals how their challenges and expectations were met when they discovered Axentia Solutions Corp. and Microsoft Business Solutions Navision. Mike Kavander is Manager, Information Technology, Laurel Steel, a division of Harris Steel Limited. TopOfPage   3:05 - 3:35 ACI - Accessory Concepts Inc. User-Delivered Case Study: Speaker Helder Valentim, Distribution Manager, ACI Sector: Wholesale to Retail Distribution / Logistics Case Study Outline: Accessory Concepts Inc. (A.C.I.) has become one of the most sought after destination companies in the accessory market. A.C.I. serves all major Canadian retailers in multiple distribution channels as well as over 15,000 retail stores across Canada. A.C.I. has grown on average 20% per year. The company uses TECSYS distribution management software solutions to sustain growth and improve quality, productivity and timeliness of their products and shipments. This presentation will explain how a small-medium sized company uses software and technology to increase their commitment of quality and to continue to increase their market share throughout Canada. Helder Valentim is the Distribution Manager of A.C.I. in the Mississauga office.   3:45 Sponsors Panel: Attendees will have the opportunity to put questions to the panel of solutions experts. followed by Chairman's Closing remarks; and Networking Reception in the Sponsors display area until 5:00pm     Register to attend and save until October 10th. TopOfPage     Platinum Sponsors: Intellera delivers Business Intelligence (BI) and Workflow Solutions to industry. Since 1995, proactive businesses have turned to Intellera to measure performance and drive profitability. Intellera is the trusted specialist in business performance and business process management (BPM) solutions. The company combines and customizes top-tier systems to deliver dramatic results that have helped hundreds of companies improve their bottom line. Through cost-effective applications, Intellera’s offerings have helped Black Photo Corporation, LeMaster & Daniels, Hasbro and others see “one version of the truth” by focusing on real-time analysis of critical information. Intellera’s core client base includes professional, retail and distribution enterprises. For more information, please visit www.intellera.com. Microsoft’s Business Intelligence vision is to address customer needs by providing business insights to all employees in their organization, leading to better, faster more relevant decisions. By combining the enterprise data management abilities of SQL Server 2000, Microsoft Business Solutions for Analytics and the Windows Server System with the power and ease of the Microsoft Office System, organizations can benefit from a comprehensive yet cost effective solution. Additionally, with the extensive partner support for Microsoft’s BI reporting and analysis platform, organizations have the flexibility to choose from a wide variety of BI tools and applications to meet enterprise-wide user needs. Please visit www.microsoft.com/solutions/bi/ Microsoft also offers a wide range of integrated, end-to-end business applications and services designed to help small, midmarket and corporate businesses become more connected with customers, employees, partners and suppliers. Microsoft Business Solutions’ applications help to optimize strategic business processes across financial management, analytics, human resources management, project management, customer relationship management, field service management, supply chain management, e-commerce, manufacturing and retail management. Please visit www.microsoft.ca/BusinessSolutions/ Tecsys: Founded in 1983, TECSYS Inc. has become an industry-leading Supply Chain Management software company that provides powerful enterprise business and logistics solutions. TECSYS EliteSeries powers hundreds of successful world-class distribution operations around the globe, Enabling Supply Chain Excellence. The EliteSeries Web-based suite of Enterprise Performance Management, Distribution Management, Warehouse Management, Transportation Management, and E-Commerce solutions can be deployed as an integrated suite or as stand-alone best-of-breed components. We are focused on serving the complex business application needs of the Healthcare (medical/surgical and pharmaceutical), 3PL, and General Wholesale Distribution markets. www.tecsys.com Gold Sponsors: Geac (TSX: GAC ) is a global enterprise software company for Business Performance Management. Geac is committed to providing new applications that extend their existing information technology capabilities. Enhanced functionality will be the product of internal development efforts, strategic industry alliances and targeted acquisitions such as the acquisition of Comshare. 18,000 customers worldwide, including 40% of the Fortune 100, use Geac's core financial and operational solutions and services to improve their business performance in real time. Geac supports customers through a network of 2,500 professionals in 55 locations worldwide. www.geac.com or e-mail info@geac.com RSA Security: With more than 11,000 customers around the globe, RSA Security provides interoperable solutions for establishing online identities, access rights and privileges for people, applications and devices. Built to work seamlessly and transparently in complex environments, RSA's comprehensive portfolio of identity and access management solutions - including authentication, Web access management and developer solutions - is designed to allow customers to confidently exploit new technologies for competitive advantage. RSA Security’s strong reputation is built on its history of ingenuity and leadership, proven technologies and long-standing relationships with more than 1,000 technology partners. www.rsasecurity.com Silver Sponsors: Business Objects, the world’s leading provider of enterprise business intelligence (BI) solutions, has more than 18,000 customers in 80 countries. We help organizations track, understand, and manage enterprise performance. Our newest breakthrough is BusinessObjects Enterprise 6. This suite includes industry-leading web query, reporting, and analysis; an advanced suite of analytic applications; and superior connectivity to packaged applications. EQUATion Technologies, an award-winning Solution Centre, implements leading mid-market Business Software Systems. Seventeen years experience working in various industries gives our Business Analysts, Developers and Software Technicians the edge to understand your business processes and to help you determine how a change of technology can improve efficiency and reduce costs. Information Builders and its subsidiary, iWay Software, help organizations realize rapid returns from technology by integrating and delivering real-time information to the extended enterprise: partners, customers, employees, managers. Our industry-leading solutions integrate all information sources and deliver information wide-scale in all preferred formats-including email, Excel, PDF, and Web pages. MDKS offers a complete end-to-end solution to enhance your business market potential, including our flagship ERP solution - MDKS InfinityTM. Whether your needs are wireless, e-commerce, custom software applications, web design, web hosting, networking, or more, our powerful computer solutions will improve your productivity and give you the 'edge'. OutlookSoft provides Business Performance Management (BPM) software that enables companies to plan, measure, and understand their financial and operational performance. It provides real time planning, budgeting, forecasting, consolidation, analysis, reporting, scorecarding, and process management in a single application. OutlookSoft reduces time to produce budget or close books; improves reporting/analysis capabilities; eliminates data collection and hundreds of spreadsheets; and, supports collaboration across enterprise. TopOfPage If you have any questions email for more information or call Alwyn Mitchell, Vice President of Events, at 416-756-1461.  | 2003 events | Agenda 2003 | sponsor /exhibit | 2002 events |